The original
Houston Aeros played in the
World Hockey Association (WHA) from its inception in 1972. The league and the Aeros gained instant credibility with the signing of hockey legend Gordie Howe. The team won two championships, 1974-74 and 1974-75, but folded in 1978, a year before the WHA ceased operations. The nickname was revived in 1994 with the arrival of a
new Aeros team which played in the
International Hockey League and later the American Hockey League.